Turning the tables as they should. As a normal but sort of a social-climbing human that I am, I once looked up to the “elites.” I marveled over socialite events published in the lifestyle pages of my father’s daily paper, got fascinatingly intrigued every time a new nepo baby was being brought into the spotlight, dreamt of attending one of the most expensive elite unis in Manila, and fantasized about being friends with a few of these “elites,” or at least working with or for them.
But every time I got closer to the fantasy, there was a certain push-pull moment. I know for sure it’s the fear of being away from my family and my beloved city and the fact that I embraced punk music and ideas. However, beyond that, there was a force that would eventually ruin my grandiose delusions about the “elite.”
In 2015, I asked the Lying Buddha in Ayuthaya for enlightenment, but the search for truth and meaning was a real ride. It reinforced my idea about the old rich and the oligarchs, and all the heinous things they do for personal gain. I hated them very much. However, when I embraced pragmatism in 2020, I learned to accept their existence in the world and I somehow respected some of them — I still do.
Now that my country is highly riddled with corruption, allegedly spearheaded by the current heads of the administration, which includes members of bourgeoisie families in the Philippines, I found myself muttering these words in a political dialogue with my sister, “These elites, the less than 1% old rich political clans, the oligarchy, the monarchy — they think they’re above everyone else, but they’re just insecure thieves — the most nefarious of the bunch.”
I believe that many, if not most of these “higher ups” are kleptocrats. A lot of them are land grabbers, too. Many don’t recognize it because they exude intimidation, “class” — most of the time even haughtily, and people often bow to them. But despite their impeccable taste and culture, infallible etiquette, and unsurpassable lifestyle, what lies beneath is the inherent abasement of values — insincerity, hypocrisy, and greed make them pure and true to their standing.
As part of the middle class, I won’t condemn the luxurious lifestyle because it’s made available for everyone to enjoy. As mentioned, I respect some of these bourgeoisie — the businesspeople who continue to help others by providing jobs, However, I have somehow reduced my perception of them and will continue to abhor the clans that are still stealing from us, especially now that I think of them as kleptomaniacs and trash.
By virtue of that idea, let’s turn the tables as they should, and I write it in my first language, a language often mocked and reduced to uncouthness: Kamo diha kaluod ninyo. Kawatan man diay; so cheap! Mas baho pa mo sa labayanan sa basura! Buki! Mga kabus!! Kamo ju’y tinuod na kabus! Kaluod!
